Immigration – Voice of OChttps://voiceofoc.org
Orange County's nonprofit newsroomMon, 21 Jan 2019 09:08:10 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.9Supervisors Silent on Immigration Debate Over Inmate Transfers to ICEhttps://voiceofoc.org/2018/12/supervisors-silent-on-immigration-debate-over-inmate-transfers-to-ice/
https://voiceofoc.org/2018/12/supervisors-silent-on-immigration-debate-over-inmate-transfers-to-ice/#respondWed, 05 Dec 2018 03:47:22 +0000https://voiceofoc.org/?p=741318Intensely-held beliefs on all sides of the illegal immigration debate were on full display at Tuesday’s Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting, where officials held a state-mandated public forum about the transfer of certain Sheriff’s Department inmates to federal immigration authorities.

The forum, required for the first time this year under California’s TRUTH Act, brought out more than two dozen public speakers who supported and opposed the Sheriff’s Department’s involvement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The five elected county supervisors themselves declined to say anything about the issue or present data prepared for the meeting by sheriff’s officials, prompting pushback from some in the audience.

“We need transparency!” shouted one audience member, when it was clear the supervisors wouldn’t address the public on the issue.

“It was very disappointing to see you not thank them for speaking,” said north OC resident Brian Kaye in public comments later in the meeting to the supervisors, who didn’t respond.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s jail staff cooperate with ICE, by transferring inmates who qualify under state law for release to ICE once they’ve served their time in county jail, and by housing ICE detainees through a contract, according to department spokeswoman Carrie Braun.

“It’s important to note that we do not do street level immigration enforcement,” Braun said in an email Tuesday. “We provide public safety services for all residents of Orange County without concern for their immigration status.”

After the forum, Barnes spoke one-on-one with residents and answered questions. He emphasized deputies do not conduct immigration enforcement on the streets of Orange County, and that the department fully complies with the TRUST Act, a state law that prohibits law enforcement from holding inmates past their normal release date unless they were convicted of a specified “serious or violent felony.”

When Laura Kanter, a youth advocate with the Santa Ana-based LGBT Center OC, told Barnes a woman she knows was afraid to visit a family member in jail, the undersheriff said she had nothing to worry about and offered to personally drive the woman to the jail and take her to a visitation.

The public comments at the forum reflected the ongoing national debate over immigration.

People who supported strong immigration enforcement said they were standing up for the rule of law, and that the Sheriff’s Department cooperation with ICE makes communities safer by removing dangerous criminals.

“If we don’t have laws, we don’t have a country,” said Luis Adame. “We cannot take in the entire population of the globe.”

“If [an] illegal alien does not want to risk deportation, then they should read the three sanctuary state bills and refrain from committing the crimes that will get one deported,” said Robert Lauten.

People who opposed local law enforcement cooperation with ICE said the cooperation makes communities less safe by making immigrants and their family members fearful of reporting crime, and that domestic violence victims wrongfully plead guilty to crimes that can get themselves deported.

“By collaborating with ICE you are mixing policing with immigration policy. Studies show that by doing that you are making all of us unsafe: citizens, people with status, and undocumented people. All of us,” said Jack Lerner.

“I’ve seen mothers crying as their children are torn from their arms,” said Asmaa Ahmed, a policy manager with the Anaheim office of the Council on American–Islamic Relations.

Several commenters asked for specific data about several topics, including how many people the Sheriff’s Department transfers from jail to ICE custody.

The TRUTH Act states that as part of the public forum, “the local law enforcement agency may provide the governing body with data it maintains regarding the number and demographic characteristics of individuals to whom the agency has provided ICE access, the date ICE access was provided, and whether the ICE access was provided through a hold, transfer, or notification request or through other means.”

When public comments were finished, Do, the supervisors’ chairman who was running the meeting, asked the county’s top lawyer if that information was required to be presented.

County Counsel Page replied that it was optional. “The provision of data is permissive, not mandatory,” he said.

“The board has satisfied the requirements” of the TRUTH Act, Page said.

Barnes’ prepared remarks for the forum, which the supervisors didn’t invite him to give, acknowledged the passions surrounding immigration policy and emphasized the department does not arrest people for immigration violations.

“We strongly agree with those who argue that local law enforcement should not be enforcing immigration law. We have never, do not, and will not arrest individuals for violation of immigration law.It is not our charge and doing so could hinder our effectiveness in carrying out our core mission,” Barnes wrote in his prepared remarks.

“We will, however, always advocate for the ability to communicate with our federal law enforcement partners on keeping the narrow segment of criminal offenders out of our community. Doing so keeps ALL members of our community safe.”

Asked why Barnes didn’t speak at the forum, Braun, the spokeswoman, said: “Sheriff-elect Barnes was prepared to present and respond to questions.”

“The meeting was run by the Board of Supervisors,” she noted, referring questions about the meeting format to county spokeswoman Molly Nichelson.

Asked why the sheriff didn’t speak, Nichelson didn’t have an answer as of late Tuesday. She referred to the 693-page document that had information about the Sheriff’s Department policies related to ICE starting on page 618. (The document doesn’t show a table of contents listing the page numbers.)

In an interview with Voice of OC after the forum, Barnes said the department follows state law.

The two are running to take Supervisor Shawn Nelson’s seat as he terms out this year. Chaffee is mayor of Fullerton and Shaw is the mayor of La Habra. The top priority for both, they said, is addressing the growing homelessness issue.

“I consider the Board of Supervisors to be dysfunctional. They seem more concerned about advancing their careers instead of doing the right thing for the County … Not establishing homeless places for people to go in south county. They had opportunities to do that on county land and they kinda chickened out,” Chaffee said to an audience of roughly 40 people.

Shaw wasn’t as critical of Supervisors, but said he believes in the “housing first” model to address the homelessness issue and cities need to band together to help build permanent supportive housing, which is housing geared for homeless people that has medical, mental health, job planning and a variety of other services on site.

“What we’re lacking is that permanent supportive housing,” Shaw said. “It obviously has to be regional approach. We don’t have to have permanent supportive housing built in every single city … other cities can contribute — it does need to be regional.”

The moderator, CSUF political science professor Stephen Stambough, asked how each candidate could get south county cities to chip in more in addressing the homelessness issue. Members of the audience also submitted questions for candidates, with much of them being about homelessness, Stambough said.

“That’s a tough question because the city’s all have control of their local territory … when you pick a site there’s always a NIMBY (not in my backyard) contingent that seems to object,” Chaffee said.

Supervisors initially proposed building a homeless shelter on county-owned land in Irvine in March, but faced immediate protests from residents. After busloads of Irvine residents showed up to the March 27 meeting, Supervisors cancelled the plan.

“Busloads of people came up from south county and they (Supervisors) chickened out and backed away,” Chaffee said.

“It’s 114 acres of state-owned land and the local cities can’t really have a say on that.” Chaffee said.

Shaw said the county shouldn’t try to place too many homeless people in one city, but the County should put more pressure on cities.

“No one part of the county can be off the hook here, but I don’t think you can take one city and say you’re going to take thousands and thousands … but everyone has to do something here,” Shaw said. “You can find a site that’s perhaps more in an industrial area … you don’t just want to jam it down on them, but hopefully with some city council leadership and some county leadership, we can overcome the NIMBYism and find the appropriate sites as needed. ”

“The county has built up a healthy amount there and it should be spent wisely,” Shaw said. “The approach I agree with — housing first, getting people into the housing … and that’s where we can begin the treatment.”

Shaw also said he supports institutionalizing people who have severe mental illnesses, like schizophrenia, to get them treatment. “The problem we have with the courts is its their Constitutional right … they can be out in the street.”

“The County has accumulated … millions of dollars and has not used it as it should have,” Chaffee said, adding that seniors also need more mental health services. “I think we need to have clinics more regionalized, not just in the central part (of the county), so that access can be available to them.”

Transportation was another issue that came up and Shaw said it’s also one of his top priorities because he expects to be chair of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) board chairman next year. He’s currently the vice chair.

Shaw said Measure M, the half cent sales tax passed by voters in 2006, was supposed to generate $24 billion over 30 years, but the 2008 recession, coupled with the loss of sales tax due to online shopping, has reduced that projection to $13 billion.

“So the OCTA is trying to make that promise to voters with significantly less money,” Shaw said, adding that the online sales tax is unfairly allocated to cities.

Chaffee said he supports the “No” vote on Proposition 6 and wants to focus on more train services, but the freight companies own the lines and he wants to work with them to get more passenger cars.

Stambough asked how the candidates would support undocumented college students and both candidates said they want to support them.

“We need to support them … they’re not here to get a free load, they’re here to better themselves,” Chaffee said, adding he disagrees with the County’s move to join the federal lawsuit against the state over its sanctuary city law.

“If they’re coming to a university, they’re obviously interested in bettering themselves … We want to have people come here who want to work hard,” Shaw said.

Stambough asked how the candidates would increase public participation at the county level.

“I have what I call a different open-door policy … mine is open so I can go out. I want to continue meeting people,” Chaffee said. “My intention is to meet, at least quarterly, with each city manager to get their input.

Chaffee also said he wants to meet with workers at the Orange County Employees Agency, “I want to listen to them. They’re members of the public too.”

“I’m going to instruct my field staff to be at city council meetings … to make myself available as much as possible,” Shaw said.

Shaw also wants to revive Nelson’s breakfast he used to have with council members and city managers in the Fourth District.

“Having all the mayors and city council members of the district and kind of get together for breakfast … and talk about our needs for the region,” Shaw said.

Spencer Custodio is a Voice of OC reporter who covers south Orange County and Fullerton. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio

The roughly 25-minute verbal joust will air 5 p.m. Sunday on Inside OC with moderator Rick Reiff on PBS. The race is one of four Orange County Congressional contests Democrats hope to win Nov. 6 in their bid to take at least 23 seats nationally, which would give them control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

National Democrats targeted the 48th Congressional District because Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump in the district by nearly 2 percentage points. A New York Times poll released Sept. 6 shows Rohrabacher and Rouda are tied. And a Los Angeles Times poll released Oct. 4 also has the two even.

Reiff asked the two candidates what issues were most important, Rohrabacher brought up immigration. It’s the first time the immigration issue has been debated by the two or come up as a major issue in the 48th Congressional District race.

“… we have had 30 million illegals crossing into our country in over the last 20, 30 years … if we ignore that, number one, it’s draining the money from all these programs we’re talking about. When you talk about giving medicare to illegal immigrants, you’re going to collapse that system,” Rohrabacher said, accusing Rouda of wanting to give undocumented immigrants medicare.

“And I haven’t said that,” Rouda interjected.

“Well, can you not interrupt me so I can have my say? Rohrabacher replied. “When you have somebody who’s willing to give medicare to illegal immigrants, which we have a video of this gentleman making that promise, but it also drains money away from education, from health care, from veteran benefits,” the Congressman said.

Rohrabacher’s campaign sent Voice of OC an email with a YouTube link which shows Rouda, at a debate with former Democratic candidate Hans Keirstead before the June 6 primary election.

The moderator asked if Rouda would support healthcare for undocumented adult immigrants.

“Yes, and when I talk about medicare for all, or some of these other measures that provide some level of assistance to subgroups, the answer would be for all residents of the United States of America,” Rouda said in the video of the undated debate.

At the Oct. 15 debate, Reiff asked what the Congressman’s and candidate’s plans are on immigration, specifically about Dreamers.

“What we’ve got are people in this country who are here illegally and there are millions of them and they’re undermining our ability to provide services to our veterans, to our seniors … they are draining that money. We cannot afford to attract more people here by making even more promises if they come here,” Rohrabacher said.

According to the Census Bureau’s 2017 annual community survey estimates, roughly 722,000 people live in the 48th district. Of that, about 150,000 are Latino and 132,000 are Asian. A little over 170,000 people are foreign-born, but the bureau gives no estimate on undocumented immigrants.

Rohrabacher said if Dreamers were to be given legal status, the move would attract many more immigrants from across the globe and it would break down an already strained immigration system.

“When it comes to Dreamers, anybody who’s here illegally, if we legalize their status, there’s going to be millions more who come here. We care about these young people, but we care more about our own families … because if we legalize their status, people all over the world are going to say, ‘Send our kids there right away!’ They’re going to get all the benefits of American citizens,” said the Congressman who has held office for nearly 30 years.

He also said schools, neighborhoods and social programs would deteriorate because funding would be diverted to an influx of immigrants if Dreamers were given legal status. He said immigration is already straining many social programs.

“… millions and millions more will come and our system will breakdown. It’s in the process of breaking down now. Our neighborhoods aren’t safe, our schools are inundated and we are punishing our own people by providing limited resources to people who are here illegally,” Rohrabacher said.

Rouda said Rohrabacher wants to deport all undocumented people and said the Congressman helped block past legislation which could have given many undocumented immigrants a chance of legal status.

“Let me be very clear. Rep. Rohrabacher wants to deport everyone who is here undocumented. And he wants to charge them … a million dollars each to come back to build the wall,” Rouda said.

Rouda pointed to a 2013 Senate Bill which would have provided Dreamers a way to legal status, border security funding and modifications to the visa system. But the bill died because it didn’t make it to a vote in the House of Representatives. Rouda said Rohrabacher and then-Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) prioritized their political ambitions.

“That legislation could have passed in the House of Representatives … but Rep. Rohrabacher and Speaker Boehner never let it to the floor to be passed … and that’s what’s wrong with Washington where the corruption and the self-serving interest of trying to keep your job versus putting your country forward in the right way — through bipartisan, strong legislation — is why we need new leadership,” Rouda said.

The coastal Congressional district runs from Seal Beach to Laguna Niguel and stretches east into parts of Westminster and Garden Grove. It also includes Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach.

It’s home to nearly 402,000 registered voters as of Oct. 15, according to data from the Orange County Registrar of Voters. Republicans hold a nine-point lead over Democrats at 38.7 percent of voters, while no party preference voters consist of 27 percent of voters.

Although Republicans hold an edge, Rouda could appeal to some Republicans because Rohrabacher denies climate change, said Chapman University political science professor and elections expert Mike Moodian in September.

“So he (Rohrabacher) refutes the evidence on climate change, the role of carbon emissions in the atmosphere and heat-trapping gasses … and our poll (2018 Orange County Annual Survey) shows that typically the Republican Party denies climate change … but it’s a little different in Orange County,” Moodian said. “We call them the eco-Republicans — people who get disturbed when we have to talk about building higher seawalls.”

The Chapman survey found nearly 80 percent of respondents found climate change to be an issue

Moodian said while coastal Republicans may like lower taxes and less regulations, they also want to maintain clean beaches and the quality of life they currently enjoy.

During the debate’s opening remarks, Rouda raised the climate change issue, while Rohrabacher avoided it during the debate.

“I believe global climate change is a real issue that has to be addressed. He doesn’t,” Rouda said.

Rohrabacher instead offered some praise to Trump, but also said he’s willing to vote against his policies if they don’t fit OC.

“I’m willing to work with Trump when he’s right … and oppose him when he’s wrong,” Rohrabacher said. “We had a GOP tax bill I ended up opposing … that was because it wasn’t good for Orange County.”

The Chapman OC survey found the majority of respondents disapprove of Trump at 63 percent.

Reiff asked Rohrabacher about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Rohrabacher called the criticism of his relationship with Russia and Putin “fake news.”

“The bottom line is I think that, yes, we should cooperate with Russia now that it’s no longer our major threat, meaning the primary threat — they don’t meet our standards, but right now we have to deal with radical Islam and China. And Russia — we should cooperate where we can with Russia rather than being unrelentingly hostile,” Rohrabacher said.

Rouda said Rohrabacher disregarded the U.S. intelligence community’s concerns about Russia potentially meddling in the 2016 elections. He also criticized the Congressman for meeting with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in August 2017 to discuss Russia’s election meddling efforts.

“That’s his basis for saying the U.S. intelligence agencies are wrong (about election interference). I side with the U.S. intelligence agencies,” Rouda said. “We should be very concerned about Russia. It is a dictator who has taken over Crimea, who has invaded Ukraine, has killed journalists on foreign soil in England. And to sit there and turn a blind eye to that is ridiculous.”

During the closing remarks, Rouda said don’t worry about party affiliation.

‘More than anything, forget if … there’s a D or an R next to either of our names — see if the values represent your values and vote for the person who has the character that you deserve in Congress,” Rouda said.

Rohrabacher took the chance to attack Rouda once more during the closing remarks.

“I personally identify with the hardworking people here in Orange County. And you know who I am, and sadly my opponent, you don’t know who he is. He condemns oil companies, for example … yet he himself has been heavily invested in production of crude oil. Personally benefited,” Rohrabacher said.

Reiff was going to give Rouda roughly 10 seconds to respond to numerous claims the Congressman made during his closing statement, but Rouda declined.

“Well, it’s so full of falsehoods, where do you start? And that’s just a typical politician in Washington D.C who’s been there for 30 years,” Rouda said, shortly before Rohrabacher extended an arm and the two shook hands.

Spencer Custodio is a Voice of OC reporter who covers south Orange County and Fullerton. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio

]]>https://voiceofoc.org/2018/10/rep-dana-rohrabacher-debates-democratic-challenger-harley-rouda-for-first-time/feed/0After Not Seeing Children for at Least a Decade, Families Reunite in Santa Anahttps://voiceofoc.org/2018/07/after-not-seeing-children-for-at-least-a-decade-families-reunite-in-santa-ana/
https://voiceofoc.org/2018/07/after-not-seeing-children-for-at-least-a-decade-families-reunite-in-santa-ana/#respondThu, 26 Jul 2018 14:06:00 +0000https://voiceofoc.org/?p=610154People hugged their children and grandchildren Tuesday in Santa Ana when 23 people who hadn’t seen their families in at least 10 years flew from Mexico after securing travel visas that they can use for 10 years.

The Santa Ana-based community group, Corazones Unidos De Zumpahuacàn, worked with other organizations in Mexico to get 35 people the 10-year visas. When the group arrived at Los Angeles International Airport Tuesday, 12 people flew to reunite with families in other states including Illinois and Kansas.

In Santa Ana, West Covina resident Hugo Camacho said he hadn’t seen his mother in 17 years. The 38-year-old teared up and grinned as his mother came into the room and the two immediately hugged.

SPENCER CUSTODIO, Voice of OC

West Covina resident Hugo Camacho sees his mother, Silvia Primero, for the first time in 17 years. The two were reunited in Santa Ana July 24, 2018, where she hugged and kissed Camacho’s son.

“It’s been a long time — 17 years,” Camacho said. “We’re going to go on vacation next week to different places … first is Las Vegas.” He said he also plans to take his mother, Silvia Primero, to Disneyland during her two-week visit.

Erica Flores, who’s married to Camacho, said they were trying to work with other groups at first, but Corazones Unidos offered the most help. “It’s so nice, what they’re doing for us.”

Because of the undocumented status of many people won’t allow them to travel to Mexico to visit their families and come back, the Corazones Unidos group instead looks to bring family members for visits from Mexico to the U.S. through the visa program.

Corazones Unidos President Jose Merida, a Santa Ana resident, said he started the group roughly one year ago and has helped get 10-year visas for Mexican citizens so they can visit their families here.

SPENCER CUSTODIO, Voice of OC

People waiting to greet a family member who lives in Mexico that they haven’t seen for at least 10 years. July 24, 2018.

Merida, through a translator, said he got the idea when he wanted to hug his parents who he didn’t see for roughly 10 years, but they were living in Mexico. Merida said he visited his mother about five years ago, but that visit caused his naturalization process to restart and he was told he needed to wait 10 years before reapplying for citizenship. He has five years left.

The requirements for the Corazones Unidos program are: the person in Mexico must be at least 60 years old and hasn’t seen their children in 10 years or more, has a passport, identification and no criminal record.

Merida said it’s easier for the all-volunteer organization to secure 10-year visas for people who are 60 or older. He said they file 50 visa applications each time they do a round of a reunions and an average of 35 are approved by U.S. officials. Tuesday marked the fourth round of reunions the group has done and Merida said nearly 200 people have been reunited with their families. The visits typically last for two weeks. He said he plans to do another one in two months.

SPENCER CUSTODIO, Voice of OC

People stand outside as they wait to be reunited with family members from Mexico for the first time in at least 10 years. July 24, 2018.

The families were reunited at the El Centro building near the Civic Center in Santa Ana. El Centro is a community group that does various educational activities for the neighborhood and helps people with their immigration issues.

The senior-age parents sat in the air-conditioned front part of the building, where they shared stories with each other and snacked on sandwiches and fruit while they waited to be called into the large dance room in the back where their families awaited them.

Tears mixed with beads of sweat were on the many faces in the hot, crowded dance room as they embraced parents they haven’t seen for at least 10 years. Many had balloons and flower bouquets to greet their parents. Temperatures climbed to the low 90’s Tuesday and the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning until Thursday night.

SPENCER CUSTODIO, Voice of OC

Family members greet parents and grandparents from Mexico after not having seen them for at least 10 years in a reunification event in Santa Ana July 24, 2018.

Elizabeth Campos, a 22-year-old Santa Ana resident, flew to Mexico City and helped the 35 people board their flights and get to LAX.

“It was really sentimental … to witness people who haven’t seen each other in years, decades even,” Campos said. “To not see someone for that long is a crazy concept — especially considering that someone is your child or your parent.”

She said the trip was challenging because the group doesn’t have anybody dedicated full-time to handling the logistics of the trip. Campos said while the group faces challenges because they don’t have a professional staff, the efforts from everyone help make up for it.

SPENCER CUSTODIO, Voice of OC

A son is reunited with his father after from Mexico after not seeing him for at least 10 years at a family reunification event in Santa Ana July 24, 2018.

Merida said Corazones Unidos pools its money with the families to help pay for flight tickets and document processing. The visa application fee is $160, according to the U.S. Department of State website.

“You see these people busting their asses,” Campos said. “The project was brought to life by the efforts of the people … they have an insane will of wanting to do this.”

Spencer Custodio is a Voice of OC reporter who covers south Orange County and Fullerton. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio

]]>https://voiceofoc.org/2018/07/after-not-seeing-children-for-at-least-a-decade-families-reunite-in-santa-ana/feed/0Border Patrol Says Human Smuggling by Boat Increased in OC and So Calhttps://voiceofoc.org/2018/07/border-patrol-says-human-smuggling-by-boat-increased-in-oc-and-so-cal/
https://voiceofoc.org/2018/07/border-patrol-says-human-smuggling-by-boat-increased-in-oc-and-so-cal/#commentsWed, 11 Jul 2018 11:27:49 +0000https://voiceofoc.org/?p=597044Orange County is likely to see more human smuggling in small fishing boats or rafts along the coast, like two cases in June, due to “zero-tolerance” federal enforcement of immigration rules on the California-Mexico border, said U.S. Border Patrol spokesman William Rogers.

“As we have been concentrating more on enforcement at the border, it definitely pushes the smuggling organizations to try riskier things,” Rogers said in a telephone interview. “They’re definitely becoming more desperate and are going to more dangerous lengths and it’s definitely concerning.”

Since October 2017, the Border Patrol has counted 20 attempts by human smugglers to land pangas—fishing boats—along the California coast from Imperial Beach in San Diego County to Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County, according to Rogers. He called it a “substantial” increase from the 11 that occurred between October 2016 and September 2017.

The most recent Orange County cases occurred June 11 and June 19 in Crystal Cove, on the Newport Beach-Laguna Beach border. Four Mexican nationals from one of the boats were arrested and the area around Crystal Cove was searched for five other suspected passengers. During the search, the nearby El Morro Elementary School in Laguna Beach was put on lockdown. It’s unknown how many passengers were on the other boat and none were located.

Officers with the assistance of our drone are still searching for the individuals who ran after arriving in this panga boat. pic.twitter.com/TUjKvCbst4

Laguna Beach Mayor Kelly Boyd said in a telephone interview he was “not particularly concerned” because such incidents “don’t happen on a regular basis,” and that it’s been happening all along the coast.

However, Newport Beach City Councilmember Jeff Herdman said in an email he was “concerned about people trying to enter our country, and in this case, our City, illegally.”

“I have confidence that our Coast Guard, Orange County Sheriff ‘s Dept., and border patrol personnel are maintaining a watchful eye, and taking aggressive action on and toward this form of illegal entry,” he said.

According to numbers provided by the Border Patrol, 241 people were arrested trying to land on the California coast in the 2016 fiscal year, though not every case involved pangas or human smuggling.

In the 2017 fiscal year, the Border Patrol apprehended 347 people, a 43 percent increase over the previous year.

So far this fiscal year, 191 people have been apprehended.

“These people tend to sail to similar places at similar times. (Orange County) is an area that we concentrate on a lot and are proactive in,” Rogers said.

Pangas are small to medium-sized open boats with outboard motors, popular with fishers in several areas of the world, including Central America. They usually hold as many as ten people. However, far out on the open ocean they are not as seaworthy as sailboats, especially in tumultuous weather conditions.

Although just two panga incidents have occurred in Orange County this year, Crystal Cove has been the site of several boat landings in the past eight years.

In 2010, authorities arrested 10 passengers from a panga that washed up in the area. In 2013, authorities seized a larger boat carrying 24 passengers. In 2014, a panga was found abandoned by the time authorities arrived.

Similar human smuggling incidents have happened in San Diego County over the years, which most recently saw ten 10 people arrested after their panga washed ashore in La Jolla on May 23, according to City News Service.

Rogers said smugglers’ preference for landing in Orange and San Diego counties could have to do with the perception of docile weather conditions.

“Just because it might be nice and sunny up in Dana Point or San Clemente doesn’t mean that it is just as nice in the open ocean. The conditions can change quickly and they can change wildly,” Rogers said. “To go out in the ocean in an open boat is terribly dangerous.”

Vincent Pirro, another Border Patrol spokesperson, said in an email the men arrested in connection with the June 19 incident have since been sent to a nearby Border Patrol facility for processing.

El Morro Elementary School is safe, but currently on lockdown. Arriving students will be escorted to classrooms. We will provide an update as soon as more info is available. Thank you @LagunaBeachPD for your assistance. https://t.co/bT6sQq6mq1

No persons have been located in connection with the June 11 panga, which was empty when authorities arrived.

The pangas arrived around the height of a controversial zero-tolerance southern border strategy, announced by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in May, that involved the separation of families trying to cross into the U.S. from Mexico.

Rogers said that while the marine and air branch of Border Patrol tries to ensure the safety of anyone attempting to land on the coast, he “cannot overstate” how much safer it is to enter at the southern border.

“If you want to come into the United States, come in through the front door,” Rogers said. “Don’t try to jump over the fence. Don’t go out on the ocean.”

But Jeff Khurgel, an immigration expert and attorney in Irvine, said “When people present themselves at a port without any valid documentation or ID, they aren’t allowed in. They can claim asylum, but that means you’re processed and left in limbo, and people are probably hearing the horror stories that are coming out.”

“There are a lot of reasons these people won’t simply come knocking on the front door,” he said.

He likened the situation to the current European immigration crisis, where migrants and asylum seekers, largely from Africa, have made perilous and, in many cases, fatal voyages en masse by sea.

“Though it’s not on that level here, there are certainly some analogies to be made,” Khurgel said. “As conditions in Central America become more desperate, migrant families are seeking alternative, more dangerous ways of bypassing the border by sneaking around it.”Brandon Pho is a Voice of OC intern. He can be reached at bpho@voiceofoc.org

]]>https://voiceofoc.org/2018/07/border-patrol-says-human-smuggling-by-boat-increased-in-oc-and-so-cal/feed/2On OC: OC Kids on Immigrationhttps://voiceofoc.org/2018/07/on-oc-oc-kids-on-immigration/
https://voiceofoc.org/2018/07/on-oc-oc-kids-on-immigration/#respondFri, 06 Jul 2018 13:31:37 +0000https://voiceofoc.org/?p=595118Voice of OC works with a reporting boot camp for middle schoolers in Santa Ana, producing a podcast where kids sounds off on life in Santa Ana as well as the immigration debate that is playing out in their living rooms and neighborhoods.

]]>https://voiceofoc.org/2018/07/on-oc-oc-kids-on-immigration/feed/0Three More OC Cities Oppose State Sanctuary Lawhttps://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/three-more-oc-cities-oppose-state-sanctuary-law/
https://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/three-more-oc-cities-oppose-state-sanctuary-law/#commentsFri, 20 Apr 2018 13:49:59 +0000https://voiceofoc.org/?p=530218Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and Lake Forest this week became the latest cities in Orange County to take stands against the state’s sanctuary laws, adopting resolutions and filing briefs in support of the federal lawsuit against California.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California (ACLU) also announced it was filing a lawsuit against Los Alamitos, the first city in the state to adopt an ordinance in an attempt to exempt itself from one of the state’s sanctuary laws.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions March 7 said the Justice Department is suing California over three separate sanctuary laws. The Los Alamitos ordinance attempts to exempt the city from the law still referred to as state Senate Bill 54, which bans local law enforcement agencies from giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the jail release information of undocumented prisoners.

Violent felonies are exempt from SB54 protections, including murder, arson, rape, homicide, robbery and various other serious felonies defined under state penal code.

The law went into effect this year, and so far the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said it transferred 168 people to ICE between Jan. 1 and March 19. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun previously said 172 people, who otherwise would have been transferred to ICE, have been released back into the community during that time frame.

Voice of OC has requested updated numbers, along with what the people who were transferred to ICE were convicted of doing, but those numbers haven’t been provided yet.

Many city leaders who opposed the sanctuary law said their opposition wasn’t about immigration, but public safety. The issue has become partisan, often pitting Republicans against Democrats in demonstrations outside city halls and inside council chambers. So far, 11 of Orange County’s 34 cities and the county Board of Supervisors have taken positions against the state sanctuary laws.

In its own move to circumvent the state sanctuary law, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department March 26 started listing every inmate’s release date on its website, regardless of immigration status.

The three cities join Aliso Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Fountain Valley, Newport Beach, Westminster, Orange and Yorba Linda in filing legal briefs against the state law. The Orange County Board of Supervisors also voted join the lawsuit March 27.

Councilmembers adopted a resolution against the state law and voted to file a legal brief siding with the U.S. Justice Department in the lawsuit against the state. The council voted 3-2, with Councilwoman Debra Lewis and Councilman Paul Wyatt dissenting.

Like other city councils that voted in favor of filing briefs and similar resolutions, some Dana Point council members cited the oath of office they take when being sworn into their position.

“I swore an oath … to uphold the Constitution of the United States,” Mayor Pro Tem Joe Muller said.

He later reminded council members everyone on the council took the oath. “I can’t turn my back on our oath,” Muller said.

However, Councilwoman Debra Lewis said the council shouldn’t decide the legality of the law and asked City Attorney Patrick Munoz if there’s been a legal decision.

“Has SB54 been declared unconstitutional by any court in the United States?” Lewis asked.

“It has not, as far as I’m aware of,” Munoz answered.

“So if we’re going to uphold our oath … at this point, SB54 is the law of the state of California and it is constitutional,” Lewis said while sanctuary law opponents tried to interject their opposition to her comments from the audience.

“I’ve already warned you how many times? If the deputies see that you’re disrupting the meeting, they’re going to escort you out of here,” Mayor Richard Viczorek said after the outbursts.

Meanwhile, Muller countered Lewis’ comments and said, “It’s been brought up tonight that it’s a slippery slope when we start deciding what laws we’re going to follow and which laws we aren’t. The state of California already went down that slope … nor does the state of California have the right to preempt federal law.”

Chants of “USA!” filled the room after the vote and Vizorek had to recess the meeting.

The 2016 U.S. Census Bureau population estimates Dana Point has 34,009 residents including 2,138 non-citizens, or just over 6 percent. However, the estimate does not specify if the non-citizens are undocumented.

According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, there are nearly 21,000 registered voters in Dana Point. Almost 45 percent are Republican, about 27 percent are Democrat and just over 23 percent are no party preference.

Laguna Niguel

The Laguna Niguel City Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution against SB54 and unanimously voted to file a legal brief siding with the U.S. Justice Department in the lawsuit.

Unlike Dana Point’s meeting, Laguna Niguel didn’t see verbal clashes in the crowd or among council members.

“The California legislature appears to want to score points with its voters,” Jennings said. “I view the issue here as rather being quite simple. California will be and is less safe, less secure.”

Like other cities, many of the people who spoke during public comment said adopting the resolution and filing the legal brief would make undocumented immigrants hesitant to report crimes to police.

“There’s simply no documented evidence that any illegal alien … has ever been deported for being a witness to a crime,” responded Councilwoman Laurie Davies.

Mayor Elaine Gennawey said the move isn’t an immigration issue, rather a public safety one. She alluded to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

“Our country learned a very tragic lesson 17 years ago about what could happen when agencies don’t communicate,” Gennawey said.

The Census Bureau estimates that nearly 65,000 people live in the city, including 4,252 noncitizens — a little over 6 percent. It doesn’t estimate how many are undocumented.

There are nearly 38,000 registered voters, according to the Registrar of Voters. Republicans hold the majority with nearly 43 percent, Democrats have almost 29 percent and no party preference hold over 23 percent of registered voters.

Lake Forest

Lake Forest council members unanimously voted Tuesday to pass a resolution against the state law and to file a legal brief siding with the U.S. Justice Department.

Like nearly all other cities that voted in opposition of the sanctuary law, some city council members also cited their oath of office.

“We have a constitution to uphold,” Councilman Tom Cagley said. “I don’t think there’s any other discussion to be had here.”

Councilman Dwight Robinson said the state is overstepping its legal authority and surpassing federal law.

“We need to stand up and tell the state government that the federal government is the supreme law of the land,” Robinson said. “I concur with Councilman Cagley’s comments with respect to the oath.”

Councilman Scott Voigts said “America is still that shining city on the hill.”

Voigts, a former carpenter until a jobsite accident now requires him to use a wheelchair, said the move is about public safety and “giving every tool to our law enforcement.”

“I’m a former carpenter by trade,” Voigts said. “I know the hard working values of some of our immigrants.”

Lake Forest is home to over 80,000 people, according to U.S. Census estimates. Of that number, 9,198 are noncitizens, which is just over 11 percent. The census doesn’t estimate the number of undocumented residents.

The city has a little over 42,000 registered voters, according to the registrar. Republicans hold the majority at just over 40 percent, Democrats are just under 30 percent and no party preference voters hold a quarter of registered voters.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said Lake Forest adopted an ordinance. The city council adopted a resolution, not an ordinance.

Spencer Custodio is a Voice of OC reporter who covers south Orange County and Fullerton. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org.

]]>https://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/three-more-oc-cities-oppose-state-sanctuary-law/feed/1Three More OC Cities Oppose California’s Sanctuary State Lawhttps://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/three-more-oc-cities-oppose-californias-sanctuary-state-law/
https://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/three-more-oc-cities-oppose-californias-sanctuary-state-law/#commentsFri, 13 Apr 2018 13:59:15 +0000https://voiceofoc.org/?p=524511Orange, Newport Beach and Westminster this week joined the county of Orange and seven other cities in opposing California’s sanctuary state law, which limits state and local law enforcement’s communications with federal immigration authorities and prohibits officers from holding and questioning people based on immigration violations.

The Newport Beach City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to file a court brief in support of a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against the California law, known as Senate Bill 54 or the California Values Act. The same night, the Orange City Council voted 3-2 to pass a resolution opposing the law.

The debate came to Westminster on Wednesday, where at least 45 percent of residents are foreign-born, according to 2016 U.S. Census figures. Three members of the city council are Vietnamese American and one member, Sergio Contreras, is the son of Mexican American immigrants. Councilwoman Margie Rice requested the vote.

The Westminster City Council voted 3-1 to sign onto a court brief by the city of Huntington Beach supporting the federal lawsuit, with Contreras voting no and Councilwoman Kimberly Ho absent.

The contentious meeting attracted nearly 200 people, including Westminster residents and a familiar crowd of activists, on both sides, who have traveled council-to-council debating the sanctuary state law. Outside the chambers and during the meeting, activists shouted, argued and taunted each other, prompting Mayor Tri Ta to call for order repeatedly throughout the meeting.

Ta framed the issue as one of fairness, pointing to his own experience immigrating to the United States from Vietnam in 1992 at the age of 19. His uncle, an officer in the South Vietnamese Army, came to the United States after the fall of Saigon in 1975 with help from the U.S. government and completed paperwork to sponsor his family in 1980.

“At the time, my family and I were still in Vietnam. And we got an interview with the U.S. Department staff in 1990 — in 1990,” Ta said. “And after we interviewed in 1990, we finally arrived in the U.S. on May 5, 1992.”

He also directed his comments at a group of public speakers, many of them young Vietnamese Americans who cited their parents’ tumultuous immigration experiences as their reason for supporting the sanctuary state law.

“Vietnamese immigrants, we all came here, the majority of the Vietnamese came here as political refugees because…we lost our country,” Ta, a Republican, said. “However, we all came here legally, with a process.”

Republican Councilman Tyler Diep, who is running for State Assembly District 72, noted his own background as an immigrant and “a child who used to be a recipient of welfare.”

He pointed to a statement by the California State Sheriffs’ Association which raised concerns about “the release of wanted, undocumented criminals from our jails, including known gang members, repeat drunk drivers…and other serious offenders.”

“Don’t ask, should or should we not support illegal immigration. Ask yourself, do you want your family to live in the same community and neighborhood as those who broke our laws?” Diep said.

Ta pushed back at those who called the vote anti-immigrant.

“We are not anti-immigrant because I am an immigrant myself,” Ta said. “We going to vote tonight and my vote may be unpopular to some of you, but I have to stand for what I believe.”

Supporters of the sanctuary law say it preserves trust between local government and immigrant communities that may fear deportation, during a time of heightened anti-immigrant rhetoric and increased activity by federal immigration authorities.

Jacqueline Dan, an attorney at the University of California, Irvine, said her U.S. citizen parents were pulled over five times, including by the border patrol, on a drive from Texas to California to attend her law school graduation.

“That matters in a city where nearly half the population is Vietnamese and more than 20 percent is Latino,” Dan said. “We need all victims to testify in your courthouse and cooperate with police without fear of deportation.”

Many of the supporters of the sanctuary state law directed their comments to the Vietnamese American members of the city council.

“Today you consider defying the state law that ensures the safety of your very own constituents — the undocumented people you seek to persecute, they are our very own Vietnamese people,” said Julie Vo. “Tonight is your opportunity to support sanctuary…and prove you’re not just about votes and dollars.”

Anita Rice, a city Planning Commissioner and daughter of councilwoman Margie Rice, said the issue is “not about race, and it’s not about hate.”

“The laws of the land are, we are to follow the constitution. If you cannot do that, and you cannot get your paperwork…you need to become a citizen or you need to get out of my country,” Rice said. “There are people in the audience who say their parents have been here ten, twenty, thirty years. Well then, my god, what’s the problem? Get your citizenship.”

Ethan Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant who came to the United States in 1991, compared the situation to Mendez vs. Westminster, a 1947 federal court case in which Mexican American families in Westminster successfully sued to desegregate Orange County Schools.

“Sometimes the law is unjust. Sometimes you have to challenge the law to help the community at large,” Nguyen said.

Khue Bui, whose father was jailed for two years after a failed attempt to flee Vietnam, noted fleeing the country after the Vietnam War was illegal under the Communist government.

“Twenty plus years later, I have the fortune of coming here in what many of you might call the ‘right way…’ but thousands of others had no choice,” Bui said. “They came here and they didn’t wait for papers, while…people sitting in rooms exactly like this one were deciding whether to take them in or let them die.”

The majority of unauthorized immigrants in the United States are from Mexico and Central America, 71 percent. Asian immigrants make up the third-largest group at 14 percent of the illegal population, according to a 2015 report from the Migration Policy Institute.

Special federal laws and agreements paved the way for immigrants from Vietnam and Cambodia to come to the United States after the Vietnam War and to protect refugees. The 1975 Indochina Migration and Refugee Act gave refugees a special migration status and financial assistance.

A 2008 agreement between the U.S. and Vietnam allows Vietnamese immigrants who arrived before 1995 to stay despite deportation orders, an agreement meant to protect war refugees, although Ted Osius, the former U.S. ambassador to Hanoi, told Reuters Wednesday that some of those immigrants are now being deported despite the treaty.

The wave of opposition against the sanctuary state law in Orange County has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump, who said in a March 28 tweet that his “Administration stands in solidarity with the brave citizens in Orange County defending their rights against California’s illegal and unconstitutional Sanctuary policies.”

Trump’s tweet came just after the county Board of Supervisors voted to join the federal lawsuit against California, and two days after the Sheriff’s Department announced it will make inmate release dates public on their website to make it easier for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to track down criminal unauthorized immigrants.

The Santa Ana City Council voted last year to become a sanctuary city while the Fullerton City Council last week discussed joining the Justice Department lawsuit, but decided to do nothing.

Opponents of the sanctuary state law say it reduces public safety because it prohibits local law enforcement agencies from communicating inmate information to federal immigration authorities. If the police could notify ICE about inmates before they are released, those criminals would be transferred directly to ICE rather than being released to the streets, they say.

The law, however, doesn’t bar law enforcement from contacting ICE about undocumented immigrants convicted of serious or violent felonies like murder, manslaughter, robbery, rape, arson, and burglary.

Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun said while the department has transferred 168 serious criminals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement between January and March 19, it has released 172 unauthorized immigrants with criminal charges back into the community whose crimes don’t fall under an exemption.

Those crimes included domestic violence, burglary and driving under the influence charges, Braun said, although she did not have a breakdown of criminal charges for all 172 immigrants.

Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles), who authored SB54, told the Westminster Council that “the genesis behind the measure is very simple…[to] not allow local resources to be used to enforce federal laws.”

De Leon, who is running for the Senate against incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein, said the law still allows law enforcement to work with ICE to apprehend the most serious offenders.

“If you are a criminal violent felon, all local police officers…all municipalities can collaborate with ICE agents,” De Leon said, before his two minutes of speaking time expired. As he left the chambers, several people shouted “bye!” at De Leon.

Contreras, the only member to vote against the action, did not give his opinion of SB54 but said it is a waste of money for the city to engage the issue rather than focusing on city services.

After the vote, many of the activists opposing SB54 chanted around the council chambers. “USA, USA.”

]]>https://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/three-more-oc-cities-oppose-californias-sanctuary-state-law/feed/1OC Cities Take Stands on State Sanctuary Lawshttps://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/oc-cities-take-stands-on-state-sanctuary-laws/
https://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/oc-cities-take-stands-on-state-sanctuary-laws/#respondFri, 06 Apr 2018 14:15:28 +0000https://voiceofoc.org/?p=517628Cities across Orange County have taken positions on California’s sanctuary laws since Los Alamitos passed an ordinance last month in an attempt to exempt itself from the requirements.

Santa Ana, which declared itself a sanctuary city last year, and Fullerton went in different directions. The Santa Ana city council voted to file a court brief supporting the state laws and Fullerton, while initially considering siding with the U.S. Department of Justice against the state law, instead voted to do nothing.

Huntington Beach became the first Orange County city that voted to file a lawsuit separate from the DOJ’s against the state for SB54 requirements. State Attorney General Xavier Becerra also is expected to be named in the suit.

Nearly all of the arguments centered around SB54. The city councils that opposed it and the county supervisors allege the law reduces public safety because it prohibits local law enforcement agencies from communicating inmate information to federal immigration authorities.

Many local leaders allege undocumented immigrants convicted of violent crimes will be released into the streets after finishing their sentences. If the police could notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), many leaders said it would prevent threats to safety and instead the inmates would be transferred directly to ICE.

But there are exemptions on who the law protects. SB54 doesn’t bar law enforcement agencies contacting ICE about undocumented immigrants convicted of violent felonies, including murder, manslaughter, robbery, rape, arson, burglary and other serious or violent felony convictions.

In a move to circumvent state law, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department March 26 started listing every inmate’s release date on its website, regardless of immigration status.

Huntington Beach

The City Council voted 6-1 Monday to move forward with a lawsuit on what it says is “constitutional overreach” by SB54 that violates the state constitution.

“The city suit would not be the same as the federal suit,” City Attorney Michael Gates said at the meeting. “The gravamen of the city’s complaint … is the way the law’s (SB54) written, it overreaches.”

Huntington Beach is a charter city and Gates is an elected city attorney. At the meeting, council members said the lawsuit shouldn’t cost the taxpayers any additional money since they can handle it “in house.”

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) spoke about the dangers he sees in SB54.

“SB54 will attract even more criminals into the state,” Rohrabacher told the council. “I would suggest that those who are advocating sanctuary cities or sanctuary state are betraying the American People.”

Rohrabacher represents the 48th Congressional District, which includes Huntington Beach. Election handicappers have classified his re-election as a toss-up and expect the 15-term Congressman to face a tough battle at the polls this year.

“This is about local control and saying something when the state goes too far,” Hardy said. “I’m also very concerned about the message that tonight sends though,” she added, referring to comments made during the meeting and the message taking such a stance can send.

The City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting “the rule of law,” and it voted 4-1 to file a court brief in the DOJ lawsuit, siding with federal authorities.

Rohrabacher attended Wednesday’s council meeting and echoed what he told Huntington Beach. Like Huntington Beach, Aliso Viejo is in the 48th district.

“This outrageous act of the California government shreds the U.S. Constitution,” Rohrabacher said.

Harrington said it’s not about immigration, but public safety.

“These policies make us less safe. Period. To me it’s almost inarguable,” Harrington said. “I’ll tell you what, ‘if you’re a criminal, I don’t want you out on the street at all — I don’t care where you’re from.'”

He took issue with charges of racism leveled at him and the council during public comment.

“You want to talk about diversity? Come to my house. I have three black kids at my house,” Harrington said. “I love those kids like crazy and they’re the reason I do what I do. It’s amazing — the tapestry in my house.”

Mayor Pro Tem Ross Chun was the dissenting vote on filing the brief.

“Do we have any way of knowing, because this has been said so many times this is a public safety issue … do we have records or information that this is a public safety issue?” Chun asked.

Staff and the city attorney couldn’t answer Chun’s question. He also reminded the council of the felony exemptions in SB54.

Moving in the opposite direction of other cities, the heavily-immigrant city of Santa Ana plans to file a court brief supporting the California side of the sanctuary state lawsuit, after a 5-1 vote by the council Tuesday.

“In order for our community to be safe, there needs to be very positive and strong police-community relations. And this idea of, in essence, deputizing local law enforcement to do the work of the federal government, breaks down the trust,” said Councilman David Benavides.

The dissenting vote was Councilman Juan Villegas, the council’s only member who belongs to no political party. He didn’t speak about the proposal during the discussion.

Santa Ana, which is the second most-populous city in Orange County, has 334,000 people and a large unauthorized immigrant population. Precise figures aren’t available, but the U.S. Census estimated 30 percent of the city’s residents are noncitizens, whether in the country legally or not.

Santa Ana also is the second-most Latino-populated city in the United States with a population of over 250,000, after El Paso, Texas.

Fullerton

Over 130 people spoke during the public comment section of the meeting, but unlike Huntington Beach, which had a similar number of speakers, the majority of Fullerton speakers were against the city filing a court brief siding with the DOJ.

The council voted 3-1-1 Tuesday to receive and file the item, with Councilwoman Jennifer Fitzgerald voting no and Councilman Bruce Whitaker abstaining.

“SB54 usurps federal ability to detain perpetrators of serious crimes and I’m not going to show hospitality to perpetrators of serious crimes,” Fitzgerald said. She also said the 2014 ballot Proposition 47 lowered many felonies to misdemeanors, which puts those convictions outside of SB54’s felony exemptions.

Councilman Jesus Silva, the only Latino on the council and a school teacher, said some of his students have expressed concern for their families over the proposal which reminded him of their concerns during the 2016 election campaigns when the rhetoric by some candidates caused students to cry.

“This is to be decided in court. The DOJ is suing California. I think we need to stay out of that. There’s a lot of questions that need to be answered,” Silva said. “We need to support our residents here and a lot of them live on the southside of Commonwealth (Avenue).”

South of Commonwealth Avenue is where the concentration of Latinos live in Fullerton.

Supervisors also took a separate stand against one of those laws, created by state Senate Bill 54, which bans law enforcement from sharing immigration status information with federal authorities. The supervisors adopted a resolution on a 4-0 vote condemning the state law after hearing from people on both sides of the issue. Supervisor Andrew Do was out of town.

“To cooperate is not coercion. It’s not picking up their responsibilities, right? You can all help me by just cooperating. Tell me if it’s something I need to know, even if its my job. You may intellectually be incapable of understanding that, but it is factually true,” Supervisor Shawn Nelson told the crowd during Tuesday’s board meeting, drawing boos and groans from the audience.

Nelson reminded everyone resolutions are mostly about making a statement.

“Remember that resolutions are largely just that: They are symbolic.”

But Supervisor Todd Spitzer said the Sheriff’s Department started to post the names of all people in jail and their release dates on its website in a move to circumvent the state law.

“The Sheriff’s Department announced yesterday … the Sheriff’s Department is going to start putting every single in custody on the website,” he said. “That way any agency who may be looking for somebody in another custodial facility is going to be able to find the release date and it won’t take any transfer of information that’s prohibited, at least heretofore, under SB … 54.”

Spitzer, a former prosecutor who now is running for District Attorney, said it’s too dangerous to law enforcement to let people out of jail while another law agency is looking to arrest them.

“To let somebody out, to get access to weapons, access to their homeboys or homegirls, access to whatever,” Spitzer said, immediately drawing boos from some people. “Whatever, you can boo me all you want, you haven’t worked the streets like I have.”

Nelson said the move to join the lawsuit gives the county an opportunity to make its plea before the court.

“… From a legal standpoint, what we are choosing to do, with asking our county counsel to intervene the litigation, is not to go rogue, but to get in front of the court,” Nelson said. “So they see it our way.”

“We need to look at every tool available to ensure public safety in the general public and homeless population. Otherwise, we will never be able to get full public support behind homeless sheltering and housing solutions,” Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said.

During public comment, Fullerton resident Bethany Anderson said immigrants, statistically, commit less crimes than citizens.

“I can sit here and tell you countless stories … about immigrants … and stats and how immigrants are far less likely to commit crimes than citizens,” Anderson said.

She also said supervisors should think about what side of history they will fall on.

“In the 1960s, people sat in seats just like yours and vehemently opposed anything that advanced civil rights. And now we look back on them and we’re ashamed and we know they’re on the wrong side of history,” Anderson said. “I will be able to look in my children … and tell them we were on the right side of history. Will you be able to do the same?”

But sanctuary law opponent and Sherman Oak resident Genevieve Peters, during a celebration in the board chambers after the vote, said sanctuary opponents are on the right side of history, and the right side of the Constitution.

Earlier in the day, she and another sanctuary law opponent were the only two to mount a counter demonstration against a protest of the supervisors’ resolution.

“For them to stand here and lie about who Trump supporters are, is the racist people. Those are the people that choose to call me names because of my skin color. We love all people. America is a country of immigrants, but we are legal immigrants. We are people that come here according to the rule of law,” Peters said.

She also said people should self-deport.

“Now, the fact that you’ve been here, 20, 30 years, take it as gratitude and grace and do the right thing: self-deport,” Peters said. “You’ve been here illegally for so long, be thankful that you got the education you did.”

Peters and other sanctuary opponents left the board meeting and headed to Mission Viejo, where council members unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night endorsing Los Alamitos’ stance against sanctuary laws.

Spencer Custodio is a Voice of OC reporter who covers south Orange County and Fullerton. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org.